Deadlake

There is also this thread here as well:

Introducing the new mount. RST-135E

This is also next gen, and now has encoders. Note, encoders would need to be fitted to the  RST-300 to be competitive with the Avalon.

 

45 minutes ago, jetstream said:

A friend of mine is asking if the same applies to the Tak scopes? will they show more than other fracs?

You need to define other fracs 😀, and how dark the skies are for the scope being used, some targets might be off the menu...

Comes down to framing size between fsq-85 and 106. A fsq-106 second hand is the same price as fsq-85, however remember accessories a well.

1 hour ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

Wow! The TOEs are on my list - might have to keep an eye on the used market as well.

Some of the HR’s are still available new too, they are the bottom four on @mikeDnight picture. However @John might want them too? @John did you make up you mind HR or TOE or both? 😀

The ScopeTech is a great mount and only 1.7 kg. If I was to buy a tripod again I’d go with a carbon one to keep the weight down.

The 4 mm TOE gives amazing silky high resolution views of the moon. As far as planetary EP’s you can actually buy they are in a class of its own. There are other premium planetary EP’s but no longer made.

4 minutes ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I think Jeremy has them all...the TSA120 is on my future radar...not quite yet though! 

It’s Gerry @jetstream who has all the EP’s, which is the original question. 

5 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Yup, that’s it 👍🏻

Depends if you are getting a 60 or 100 mm next. 😁

7 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

And then there is always the lovely Q x 1.7 module. You’d end up with 2 scope in 1 👍🏻

That’s just under the price of the scope:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-extenders/tak_tka00595.html

1 hour ago, jetstream said:

Geez now I want a 76mm Tak...

I thought you where after a Mewlon 180? 🤣

Seriously there must be so many threads on Baader BBHS prisms versus mirror. I would suggest given the aperture of the scope that the prism might work best as

1. Reduces scatter, good for viewing planets.
2. Shorter light path for bino's.

The mirror shines for looking at DSO's, does not block infrared spectrum for NV usage or best used in fast scopes (less then F7) as will not add a frequency shift.  

My backyard is around 20.67 SQM, to go to a dark site is around 45 minutes drive which gives me 21.3, anymore is hours away in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 at relatives house however that’s proper dark at 21.8 SQM. Given the level of light pollution I count my self as quite lucky. 

By the way here is a unicorn, a certain zeiss EP.

https://astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/eyepieces/show/zeiss-docter-125mm-90-degree-uwf-2-case

20 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Then I would invest in a binoviewer.  Even the entry level units are quite good.  I saw far more detail on Mars during this latest opposition with my Arcturus binoviewer and two 50 year old B&L microscope eyepieces than with any of my XL, XW, Delos, or Morpheus eyepieces in mono mode.  There's no substitute for using two eyes to pick out low contrast, fine detail.

DSO's, aperture 76 mm. Presume you are thinking about travelling as you will need all the light you can get?

Just now, jetstream said:

These are excellent but big and with a brutally stupid eyecup and top cap design.

The Apollo 11 are a little smaller and more expensive. Yeah, the eye cap is a little silly on the 12.5 HW. I'd take the Doctor (good for a Bino use),  if I could get one, you selling Gerry. 😀

1 minute ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

Yep - lots of questions here and lots to think about! This is turning into more of a debate about the diagonal which is obviously important to get right before I decide on eyepieces. Do I really want to go for a 2" considering that one of the big advantages of the FC76 is its portability? I totally understand that the FOV will be far wider as @michael.h.f.wilkinson says, but to be honest I was thinking of sticking with 1.25" for this, getting eyepieces that can preferably also be used with 2" diagonals, and maybe going for a 2" when I go for a bigger scope? 

In terms of how wide the EPs are that I want to use, the 24mm Panoptic has been mentioned here and seems to be used by others with this and the 100mm Taks. Planning for the future is a great idea, but is it possible since it seems I have two different requirements, a fairly lightweight setup with the FC76, yet futureproofing this investment to allow me to use the kit with bigger scopes at home in the future?

I may be asking for too much here!

It is the field stop of the EP, not the size of the scope that governs which diagonal to use. I have a SD103S which is light weight, however to use wide field EP's a 2" BBHS is the way to go.

An Ethos 21 is not a lightweight EP for instance. 🤣

The T2 Baader is good for Bino's as it has a short light path, so having both is not a waste, you may have to get one anyway

Dan has a great spread sheet over at CN (pinned to the top of the eyepiece section) which can be used to calculate the field stops, that way you know if you are covered.

The sheet is also good to show the eye relief of EP's you are looking at.
 

I'd also take a look at the APM EP's as well, since I know some people (above) use these more then the Ethos equivalents and they are very good value even after the price rises:

e.g. a APM HDC - XWA 20 mm 100° Eyepiece

The Ethos weigh more and stay tucked up so they do not get damaged.

A Nikon 12.5 HW would also be a good choice as well, as a Doctor EP's are hard to source.

With regards to the Baader diagonal, what sort of fields stop did you need to cover (How wide are the EP's you are going to use?). The Baader T2 goes up to 33 mm aperture, so if you are going with a wide EP you will need to step up to the 2" diagonal. The prism will give you less scatter, the mirror will cool down quicker and be better for faster scopes.

Best to plan for the future now on the diagonal or end up like me with both a T2 prism and a 2" BBHS.

You also may want a zoom, I'd wait for this one to be reviewed as people have high hopes for it:

https://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/hot-products/new-apm-super-zoom-eyepiece-7.7-mm-15.4-mm-1.25-connector.html

Ps. Did someone say this is going to cost more then your scope. 😀
 

1 hour ago, ecuador said:

That's nice to hear.

Note that PS Align Pro can tell if you have magnetic North in your device settings and will calculate the magnetic declination and apply it to get true north anyway, so no worries  

Seems to be off if I don't set the compass to true north or maybe metal in mount confusing the phone... 

On 18/02/2021 at 11:45, Deadlake said:

I found the 3d stl files on 3d thingy, for both top and bottom . Then printed using 3d printing co uk, screwed together my self. Cost £40 + postage. The main advantage is that I can align the phone to be in the correct direction now, at present my phone does not ly flat on the saddle. 

Added: Can take up to XS Max sized phone in Apple case. 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3642636

Just an update. Used this now and can get out of the doors and aligned in 10 minutes when using PS align pro and the phone cradle. 

For better results set the phone magnetic to true north in the compass settings.

30 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Me neither but I've had a couple of letdowns including a 12.5mm Tak LE, that is softer than a 12.5mm Tak ortho and for me offers zero advantages. My 12.5m  Tak ortho is razor sharp and barlows very well.

How does the XWA compare with 21E in your TSA120?

The APM XWA are close to the Ethos line, but they do not have the QA process then. Just send them back?

19 hours ago, jetstream said:

This eyepiece is one of the best values for the money there is IMHO, I use it all the time leaving my 21E gently cradled in the foam case to avoid damaging this uber expensive eyepiece.

When was the last time you used the 21E then? 😀

1 hour ago, Moodtastic said:

On my daily browse of FLO I saw the Sky Fusion computer.

I was trying to figure this thing out. It is expensive and also expects an annual sub of £100 for updates. I guess it is for those with an observatory type set up?

I mean I know there are those of us with large bank accounts (certainly not me), but this does seem expensive for what it is. The PL Eagle seems a similar piece of kit and is cheaper; a laptop and pegasus astro box would be as good; or an ASIair does much the same for a fraction of the cost (if you like ZWO cameras and accessories).

I will be interested to see reviews of it in the field.

 

Its including a copy of the sky which is not cheap and the Anderson pole power supplies as well. 40 amp input as well so quite a lot of power. 

How much that all costs I don't know, but its never cheap for a dedicated appliance like this.

8 hours ago, johninderby said:

Tecnosky bench tests the scopes before shipping and if you buy from Astrograph Rupert also checks the scope and makes sure collimation is perfect. 

http://astrograph.net/Tecnosky-102/700-F7-FPL-53-Double-APO-with-25-RP-Focuser

Agree, if you have the dealer in-between you and the manufacture then these scopes are good value. 

48 minutes ago, Nikodemuzz said:

That is a good question, really. I had dismissed the FSQ because of its new price. The image size is not that different to the reduced TSA-120 (530mm vs 630mm). The visual use is a question for me even with the extender, but I have to be honest here. I enjoy visual observation, but I really don't enjoy prolonged stays in the cold. So imaging will be the dominant use case for sure. I dream of some day living in a warmer climate where I would be able observe more comfortably, but who knows when that will happen if ever?  

The FSQ would really probably be a very sensible choice for me. And here I was, finally arriving to a decision on the TSA. I really must seem hopeless, like a plastic bag in the wind! 😅

I did consider the APM LZOS as well, by the way. Other options seemed more tempting to me, and APM never sent me a quotation so they were chalked off the list.

Surprised about APM, you could try rupert@astrograph.net. He usual get backs.

But the extra speed of the fsq-106 might be better for you, against the extra aperture as you've stated.
 

4 hours ago, Nikodemuzz said:

This is true. Although with the reducer it will be F5.25 or thereabouts, but still. I have chosen to go that route because I wish that the scope would serve well as a visual instrument, too. However, there is an FSQ-106 in the Sales section at the moment that is making me question this approach...

May I ask what was your pick in the end?

I went with a LZOS 130mm/F6. This is for use with NV, where the aim is to get as close to F2 as possible. Televue makes a NV compressor that will get this scope to around 2.3. The only other option would of been a FSQ-130, which are no longer made and double the new price of the LZOS second hand. I did ask about compressors but that’s a hit on focus point and also expensive if you go Takahashi. The LZOS deals with temperature better, the only issue I can see is availablity on the 2nd hand market. 
I chose 130 mm as multi use due to the framing it will provide. I’ll end up get a 16” dob as well in the future, different light grasp and framing.

if you are happy with the image size you will get with fsq-106 and it’s the ED type then what’s not to like, for visual you can drop in a Q extender, (they apparently work in AP130GTX as well, so might try one in the LZOS).